Space Walk Pohang

Space Walk opened in Hwanho Park above Pohang in 2021: a continuous steel tube track about 333 metres long, rising and looping like a rollercoaster, except that it is a staircase - 717 steps you climb and walk, with handrails, ending at a high point over the city and the East Sea. It was designed by the German artists Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth, a version of a work they built in Duisburg, and it was donated to the city by POSCO, the steelmaker whose works dominate Pohang - which is the local point of it, a steel sculpture given by the steel company in a steel town. The loop at the top is closed to walkers; the accessible route stops short of it. It is free, open until late, and lit at night. Entry is limited to a number of people at once, so at busy times there is a queue at the bottom.

What you actually see

• The steel track - 333 metres of tube looping over the hill.
• The 717 steps - the walkable route up and along it.
• The view - Pohang, the steelworks and the East Sea.
• The night lighting - the structure lit after dark.

When to go

April to June and September to November; evenings for the lighting. Numbers on the structure are capped, so weekends and holidays queue. Closed in high wind, rain and ice.

Honest expectations

Free but limited-entry, with a real queue at peak times. It is a staircase in the open air - not for anyone uneasy with heights, and the top loop cannot be walked. An hour including the wait.

Nearby

Homigot lighthouse and the Pohang canal are close.